Elixir

Chapter 23

15th November, 2017

Jimmy Kimmel live,

"Thank you so much for coming" the jolly guy in beard and a classic suit said in a pumped-up voice backstage, "Hope to see you all very soon"
"We're honoured to be here too, thanks for inviting us!" the leader replied and shook hands with Mr. Kimmel. They posed for a selfie, that eventually attracted a lot of likes when it was posted later on twitter.
The boys were taken to a room where the manager awaited with folded hands and tapping feet.
"Good show, guys" Dae Hyun bowed and said, "We have two interviews for today, and three photoshoots for some American newspapers and magazines. Then we have been invited for the AMA promo clips for advertising the BTSXAMAs badges and pins. We'll be free late at night today, and tomorrow we have another major interview in the morning. It's all furious and speedy we're always on the go."
"Then, we have to go for the rehearsals at the AMAs, right?" Namjoon asked with his hands restlessly shaking in his pockets.
"Yes, two days, three hours. Three more interviews and news channels. Then ultimately, the AMA performance on 19th. Let's hope for the best."
Taehyung hadn't seen Helena since they reached LA. He looked around for her all the time. The boys were being groomed for the BTSXAMAs badges promotions, surrounded by strange American make-up girls who touched their faces with undue interest and combed their hair with excessive admiration. It was awkward sometimes, the boys were used to getting touched by their old Korean skilled hands, and here they just had to sit up with stern faces, letting the new staff handle their attire.
Though she wasn't seen around, Taehyung somehow sensed her in the aura. A hefty woman with curly auburn hair suddenly shoved herself in front of him, crushing his thoughts and grinned at him, holding a thick brush and a straightener.
"Let me help you with your hair" she said in a disturbingly haughty voice. Taehyung swallowed, tried not to be scared. She heated up the straightener, steam oozed out from the metal plates, her grin started looking scarier now. She lifted a bunch of his forehead strands and moved the device towards them.
"Mary! I- I'll do it" Taehyung turned to look at the direction of the new voice, "I learnt that we usually don't straighten V's hair before the moisturizer coat, do it for Jimin, go." An unbelievably beautiful girl came closer and stopped the scary auburn-head.
The stunning new girl turned towards Taehyung's startled face, and blinked her kind aqua-blue eyes through a pair of wide clear spectacles. Her waist-length blonde hair covered her back as she turned around and bent to collect hair sprays from a low table. Taehyung simply stared at her peach pink skin, red curvy lips and an attractive beauty mark on her left cheek. He tilted his head, she strangely seemed familiar. He peered carefully in her eyes as she styled his hair, trying to convince himself that she's a total stranger. Her cheetah-print jacket, pointy shoes and tight pants made her look appreciably tall and sleek.
"There ya go" she said as she neatly combed the last of his strands, "You're done" she kept the combs and sprays back on the table and walked away. Taehyung's eyes followed her... isn't her voice a lower pitch of Kim Bora's?
Throughout the entire day, he watched the blonde, searching for reasons for her familiarity. But nothing matched- her skin was too pink, her voice was too low and accented, her body language was too fancy and she never gave any of the boys a second look. Sad.
The AMAs were pulling excitement from all over the world- BTS was the performer, the armys went wild. It was 18th, the boys lined up for the rehearsals. They were accompanied by Dae Hyun, some of the BigHit staff and the new American staff. BTS took over the stage and their rehearsal clips went viral over Instagram and twitter.

"Agent M29 speaking, a crazy American saesang group has been taken care of" Helena spoke in her professional tone holding a blond wig, "And now I'm in the washroom at the AMA's, I got a woman down, I repeat, I got a woman down."
"Agent A56 speaking" another voice answered, "I'm on my way."
Someone banged on the washroom door a few seconds later.
"uh, I'm sorry I need some private time! A few minutes please!" Helena reneacted her accent
"It's Anva! Open up!"
Helena sprung up to her feet and peered through the door's slit to confirm. She then opened the door to let the auburn head come in. The other girl hugged Helena chokingly tight and flashed a friendly smile, "So, how's my Kim Bora? I knew you would get in the way of me and V" she let off a jeered laugh.
"Huh, let's not talk about that, Anva. I'm just so glad that IPO set you for the AMA objective, we're gonna work as a team this week!"
"I'm so thankful to the organisation for this" Anva adjusted her curly wig and fat suit, "It's just that I wanna get out of this cover as soon as possible."
"Oh well, where's the woman that you informed about?" she asked suddenly
Helena led the other spy to the corner-most W.C. and stopped before a woman in short shirt lying floppily on the tiles.
"I dosed her with mild acetylcholine, she's in temporary RA because she tried to do something she shouldn't have dared to."
"What did she do?"
"Violate the staff rules"
"what? She's a staff? doesn't look like it" Anva said grimacing at her shimmery short skirt and thick layered cosmetics on her ugly face, "Ew."
"Yes, not sure if she's in contact with the anti, I've reported about her take away to the inquiry centre, I caught her here talking on the phone about bribing Dae Hyun for spending some 'private time' with Namjoon. I was out of my mind, she was taking a disgusting advantage of her being a staff."
"So... you fainted her and erased her memory?"
Helena nodded with unregretful expressions, "Who knows, she might have done something unspeakable."
Anva smiled sympathetically at her and placed a 'caring best-friend' hand on her shoulder, "I'm surprisingly proud of you. Let's send her to the inquiry centre." She said, "And for god's sake, change that cheetah print outfit, Taehyung will not recognise you anyways!"
"Ah, yes, I just wanted to try something plastic and gaudy."
---
"It's finally the day guys!" Namjoon stood under the morning light that streaked through the residence window and created a fairy-tale glow behind his head, "We gotta show what we are tonight!"
The boys cheered, though anxiety blocked their veins and they shuddered through their perfect skins, every time they thought about the AMAs, they imagined scenes of international armys screaming for them... Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin Jung Hoseok, Min Yoongi, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, BTS!
"Two interviews and a photoshoot before 4 pm" Dae Hyun narrated looking at a stiff file, "then you get ready for the AMAs."
Namjoon simply stared back, the manager extracted an agreeing expression from him, the leader was too thrilled to even nod.

"Alright guys thank you so much!" the photographer waved at them joyously and shook hands. The shoot had ended.
It was time. The boys were back at their residence getting ready for the big night. The hair stylists and the makeup ladies were circling around them again. Taehyung caught eye of the blonde beauty again, he blinked her stare away, tried avoiding her, but she was the only stylist left for him. He had no option but to tolerate her oddly instinctive presence, and perky touch. He maintained his gaze at the ground as long as he could, until she knelt down right in front of him, pulled her face closer to his and started styling his fringes. His eyes set on hers, he could recognize their familiar pixie-almond shape and naturally long lashes. His lids widened just as she winked at him.
"Hope you don't forget the lines I taught you on the plane" she said, her original 'Kim Bora' voice taking over her fake American accent, "Say- I can't believe it, it's like a dream come true."
Taehyung was flabbergasted at his happy realisation and nearly peacocked his neck closer to hers, peering straight into her features. Yes, it was Helena! Her fair sandy skin was painted with pale peach-pink and her rosy lips were clad with thick extended red lipstick. Yet, her eyes revealed her identity, though they were covered with blue contacts.
"How- what? So, it was you all the time!" Taehyung nearly shouted, but suddenly lowered his voice, she was undercover after all.
"Yes, stay put, I'm not Kim Bora here, I'm Helena."
"Helena?"
She held her breathe and internally bit her tongue, "It's- its" she stuttered, but exhaled helplessly looking at his tender, unaware eyes
"It's my name undercover." Finally, a small lie escaped her alert mind.
"Oh..." Taehyung made an 'O' with his glossy lips, "Alright, I'll keep this safe."
Helena gave a side smile and wrapped up his styling.
"Your eyes are just so good you know" Anva blabbered unknowingly as she dabbed mallow beneath Jimin's puffy lids. He didn't understand her sudden accented words, and blankly smiled, assuming that it was a flirtatious compliment.
"Chin up please, look at me" she spoke softly, as if trying to savour every moment of her addressing him, she tilted her face to his side, trying to push the brush below his ears, her auburn curls nibbled his cheek and he sneezed.
"Oh! Goodness, you alright?" she backed off and asked staring at him.
"Mianhae!" he bowed bashfully, he had literally sneezed on her, but Anva was totally enjoying it all, his sweet candy scent, soft skin, silky hair and puffy eyes, she was actually getting her bias ready for the show! All she could do as a response at his sudden embarrassment was tug her giggle and blush.
"We're ready!" the elder-looking American stylist yelled from Jin's side. The clip-clops from plastic suitcases locking up again were heard and the hair sprays were thrown back in the trunks.
"Boys" the manager stood wearing an exaggerated smile, his hands behind his back, "there's someone here to see you."
He made way and bowed at a shorter man who marched in staring at all the members proudly.
"Bang PD-nim!" Namjoon jumped up, "It's so nice to see you!"
The members gathered around the smiling big man and all the staff leaked out of the room.
"This is an overwhelming moment" the director said after the room contained only the Bangtan boys and the manager, "You are becoming world stars."